Show Jy 5 CHAPTER 1 1 I IFOR FOR BETTER FOR WORSE When I married Tom Randall I made up my mind that I would not only be wife wile but chum companion and sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- heart to the man I loved lo with all m my heart I confidently expected the reel of my life to run smoothly Why shouldn't I I loved and was loved yet If it It didn't I was ready to weather any storms because of my intense love for TomI Tom I was just nineteen I had been told many times that I was beautiful and my mirror confirmed tile the story story I I have sometimes wondered If Tom woula have fallen in love with me had I been plain I was rather quiet In manner rather reserved But Intensely proud of my educated gifted husband who was very debonair always well groomed and attractive He lIe had been bee named for an uncle micle who It was expected expect expect- ed would leave lea him a fortune But theelder the tn elder Tom Randall had astonished and disgusted all his relatives by marrying marrying marrying mar mar- a young woman who gave him himan himan himan an heir so ruining MY Toms Tom's s prospects pros pros- I must confess that Tom was at times He lie was given to fre- fre frequent frequent quent outbursts of alternate of joy-of- living and a violent temper when anything anything anything any any- thing went wrong Foolishly I frowned upon both I now think that had I been the soft pussy-cat pussy sort of woman and had purred In Instead of frowning I never should have told this story the story of ot Tom and myself simply be because because because be- be cause I 1 should have had bad no story to tell THE WOOING I I can close my eyes after the lapse of years and see the saffron woods where Tom won my promise to marry him I see too the setting sun glinting the yellow leaves as we lingered there together I can smell the birch and feel the falling leaves crackle under our feet teet as we walked hand in hand like two children And in the gathering dusk I can see his eyes with lovelight shining down into mine Tom om was tall broad shouldered narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row hipped He lie was dark complexIoned complexioned complex- complex almost swarthy virile and so vigorous in every movement that you felt his superabundant life oozing toward you Invigorating and Intensifying intensifying your own nature I never had known anyone quite like him before never one who so 50 enthralled my mv senses Another attraction he had bad Ills His voice It was deep sonorous yet et his tones tone's were crisp sometimes to the verge of abruptness or sharply Incisive when his eyes flashed with the purpose or Of r his speech Oh the mad I gave way to when hen they were turned upon me me Until I met him I had taken my good I looks as a matter of course But afterward afterward afterward aft aft- erward I was so 50 grateful to heaven for I her gifts When I saw those dark eyes eves I flash Into mine with admiration my pul pulse pule e ran high my spirit fairly danced I When he lie talked my soul ran out in to meet him arId and would not be turned away Yet when he asked me to be his wife I felt weak and incompetent while over all ID my being poured a tide of love that left me trembling and cold Does it seem that I exaggerate Then men you who read never have felt the love which Is half joy half halt fear and you have never recognized your our perfect comrade THE ONLY ONE The price of ot happiness so an far as I have been able to find out never ne has been accurately computed I felt so very ery rIch everyone else lsE seemed so poor pIr because the they didn't have ha TomI romI Tom rom I was ready read to serve him dim blindly not realizing that the t. t best love lov while it gives also tak takes take that too loo much giving Is la a type of or selfishness I knew of course that for fog generations j people bad had had their had their ml maj tal difficult I ties but I had no fear that I ever should experience themI them I like many of my girl friends never had been engaged until I met Tom He was my first my last almost my only lover lover before before we were married mar mar- ried I do not mean that I had no at attention attention attention at- at that the boys of the small Western estern town in in which I lived had not been good comrades and playfellows but I had listened to no serious word of love When I married I thought Tom a veritable prince among men He was v vasso wasso wasso so courteous so handsome and he seemed so In love with me I worshiped him and was as happy happy as It Is possible happ d- d for a bride to be CHAPTER 2 TH THE E VOWS Tom was a Yale man the son of a time one wealthy Connecticut manufacturer manufacturer manufacturer manu manu- who had died a year before I Imet Imet met Tom and whose money had dwindled dwindled dwindled dwin dwin- I so that Toms Tom's wealthy bachelor uncle had been obliged to loan him money to finish his course But he be had I graduated near the top of his class and had secured a position with a Wall Wallstreet Wallstreet street firm the head of which was an anold anold anold old of his father He lIe was by this time doing very well at least I thought so Ills His salary when he asked me to marry him was twelve hundred dollars a year An unheard of sum for fora a young joung man to earn in our little town and so one of enormous possibilities to tome me lIe He had told me that he must help his mother that her tiny Inheritance was not sufficient for tor her needs I Ionly Ionly only smiled and answered Of course dear and the next moment mo mu ment forgot that he had a mother We Ve were married on on Christmas day The snow was deep and it was bitterly cold but the skies were blue and our hearts warn warm with the sunshine of love Two of my girl friends stood up with me and my younger brother was best bestman man Tom had no relatives save his mother and an older sister who for some reason reason could not not not-I. I found out afterward would not come to his wedding wed wed- ding lIng 1 Till death do us part part I repeated after the old clergyman whom I 1 had known all my life and to me as I Isaid Isaid Isaid said the solemn words it appeared that death was the only possible thing which could part us Tom us-Tom Tom and meTHE me THE HONEYMOON Then came a wonderful two weeks Tom had suggested Atlantic City for our honeymoon and I gladly consented consent consent- ed It would have been glorious anywhere anywhere anywhere any any- where with him but Atlantic City the very name has a spell for a girl who has never been there and you can judge what It meant to me when I confess that until I married I never had been a hundred miles from my home town 1 I had always loved the great outdoors outdoors out out- doors had spent many hours roaming through the woods ana lanes surrounding surround surround- ing my home But from the first moment moment moment mo mo- mo- mo ment that I saw the sea turbulent rolling Into the shore with the roar of the surf and the play of the whitecaps as they broke and receded I 1 was fascinated fascinated fascinated fas fas- fas- fas almost intoxicated The board boardwalk boardwalk boardwalk walk to to tome me was also unique At one side the ocean passionate and wonderful wonder wonder- ful with its wide space of winter swept sky on the other side the great hotels of ot which h I had read and the tiny fascinating fascinating fascinating fas fas- shops filled with artistic novelties novelties nov nov- cities as well as the needful articles with which to tempt the purse and be between between between be- be tween the two the he ever moving stream of people walking or being pushed along in the delightfully comfortable I roiling rolling chairs How crow Tom laughed at my enthusiasm I Yet let I think It pleased him too He lie had hadI I be been 11 there many times and so my delight de- de light perhaps light perhaps kept him from being bored with the familiar scenes Practically all day we were outdoors outdoor I never tired of watching its kaleidoscope kaleidoscope scope effects Tom said that there w we were every e every very few people there but to me the place seemed overflow overflowing ing with life and animation Then too the life was seemingly so vibrant so well dressed The gay inside life lite of ol the hotels had no attraction for forme me To be alone with Tom my hand tucked in his arm ann his hand over mine walking slowly along the board walk was far more to my taste than to mingle with the gaily dressed crowd who danced until the wee small hours BACK TO TOWN Not once had I thought of expense although I wonder now why it was so Our room and bath was luxurious beyond be- be yond ond anything I had ever known and the things we ate things I never had heard of ot until now were served in such sucha a manner as might have awakened my curiosity But I was so supremely happy happy happy hap hap- py so filled with thoughts of my mylove love and joy In his love for me that material material material mate mate- rial things seemed not to exist Only once did I speak of expense That was when Tom one day bought me a scarf I for my head The wind was blowing very hard and I was obliged to hold on onto onto onto to my hat to keep it from blowing off ocr He lIe guided me into one of the quaint little foreign shops an J bought me a I Ift soft f filmy thing to w wrap around my ft dw rc i isaid hat I was shocked c d when the clerk said five dollars and surprised at the nonchalant manner In which Tom paid it But I thanked him and In the happiness happiness happiness hap hap- I felt when he said stid It was very ver becoming forgot to say anything about his extravagance The two weeks were all too soon I over We Ve took our departure for New NewYork NewYork York and an apartment Tom had I Ithe rented a small room five-room flat fiat up near the Bronx paying paving twenty five dollars for tor it It seemed an awful rent to meIn me In my home town it would have procured procured procured pro pro- cured the right to live in a big detached detached detached de de- de- de house with a yard and garden But Tom said it was dirt cheap and that we were lucky to get It It Tomorrow New Tomorrow New York York |